So due to some late updating from IronTrac (ahem), and our attempts to see her out on the run, I haven’t been able to post until now. Sara finished the bike in 6:50:56!!! Awesome! I was able to see her on her run back in on the first loop and she was psyched to hear that.

She’s currently on the second loop of the run. We’re hoping to catch her on her way back through town and set up camp by the finish…

Well Sara and friends are just powering through the bike course! I’m happy to report the temperature is idyllic for racing today, and the rain was light and brief. We may see some rain again later, but so far so good.

Sara came through town around 11:05am looking strong and smiling big as always. I wasn’t able to get the best picture of her, but Dan Aukes snapped quite a few great shots as the girls came into town. I cannot take credit for these shots. I had some semi-decent iPhone ones, but these put me to shame.

Sara spots us

Daphne waves

Taking the corner

Sara Hohenshelt heading towards us

Sara Hohenshelt taking the corner

Sara taking the corner

Sorry these aren’t exactly in order! Thanks again to Dan for the images!

Sara’s pace on the first 30 miles was 19.65 mph and she completed this in 1:31:37. For the next 26 miles she maintained a pace of 15.10 climbing and had a time of 1:43:20. Nice work Sara! We’ll see you in a few!

First and foremost let’s talk weather. The weather situation is a bit tentative at best. Forecast calls for rain in the afternoon through the evening. This is starting to remind me of spectating at the 2008 IMLP! I’m still hopeful the rain will hold off. This was the view this morning as Sara was getting marked.

Sunrise over Lake Placid

That’s about all for now. Sara has shared some of her racing goals with you all, and again I’ll be updating as I can. If I can make one recommendation to any of you tracking more than one athlete – you MUST download IronTrac ($0.99) for the iPhone. You can input several bib numbers and track to your heart’s content.

Participating vs. Racing – why do we make such a clear distinction? It’s a signal to whether we feel we’ve trained enough, what our goals are, and how we think we measure up to the competition. Sometimes a race is just for fun – an excuse to hang out with friends. Other times, you’ve been training hard and want to push it. For years, I’ve been in the “participating” camp. Next week at IMLP, I will be racing.

I’m planning to race against myself. Can I beat the younger, yet rather inexperienced, version of me who participated in the 2008 race? Have I honed in on that competitive spirit a little more? Can I hold that edge, and even push it a little more?

I put forth some goals at the start of this training season and asked you to help keep me accountable. Thanks to a great group of friends (Ironminxes!), I think I’ve done the work on the bike and run.

I will be watching my daughter Sara compete in her fourth IM race this July in Lake Placid, NY. As a seasoned Ironman spectator (IMLP 2008, IM MOO 2009, and IM Canada 2011), and as a principal cheering team member I’d like to share some tips I have learned:

Be ready for ANY TYPE of WEATHER, regardless of what tourist information says is average for the host city!

Read the Ironman Athlete’s Guide – posted on the race website.

Find the “Getting Around on Race Day” information. Each sponsoring community usually publishes a little newspaper with details

Plan ahead and pick viewing spots based on maps and your participant’s expectations of the course.about traffic, parking, and more.

You want to see your racer – and they want to hear and see you! [Yes, that is usually my mom with the cowbell and school bell]

See if the host city encourages signs along the route. In Madison, they encouraged spectators to write chalk messages along specific streets. [you might be able to make signs the day or two before the race in the athlete village]

Pick the spot where you will meet your “finisher” after the race.

Have a copy of all of your racer’s important information.

Study the host city and scout where you will be parking your car, eating, resting, and sight -seeing or just hanging out while your athlete is on the course. Madison had a great Farmers Market, and so did Penticton. Lake Placid has a vibrant Main Street with lots of shops and restaurants as well as Olympic village museums and sites to see. Who expects ice on the street in front of the Olympic Ice Hockey rink?

Why the above is important – Spectators may be spending the same 12 – 14 hour day outside and on your feet. You won’t have stations along the way for hydration or snacks, so be prepared and bring some water, sun screen, snacks – or know where you can go to get food, water, snacks or cool off. Remember the race is on Sunday, so check what is usually open and when things usually close. Some merchants extend their hours during the IM race or as in Penticton encouraged us to stay and simply stayed open longer. Sometimes costs are high.

Be ready to do a lot of walking. If our support team can, we try to stay within walking distance of the start and finish lines.

Be sure that your cameras, Smart phones, battery chargers (yes bring more than one) are working.

Ability to text really improved our participation and communication with others, and with those supporters who could not get to the IM race location.